Personally, I like it. I like the idea of Plagueis figuring out some loophole that allows him to live forever. As if he created Anakin to kill Sidious, who killed Plagueis. It would be neat if Plagueis cast some magic spell that would bring him back to life after his own muderer dies. Maybe it would be set up that it would be 40 years after the death of his killer, he would be brought back to life. Maybe creating Anakin was his way of living forever. He created someone to kill his own murderer, that would ultimately bring him back to life due to his magical spell...

...Another component that nobody here seems to mention is to make use of the netherworld of the Force. Qui-gon, Obi-wan, Yoda, and Anakin are in some etherial plane right now, and maybe they see the spirit of Plagueis resurface, and hence have to warn Luke to be ready.

This fits in very well with what I expect to see should Plageuis be the villain. What I have been saying all along is that Plageuis knew that Anakin was destine to burn the house down and die himself in the fire, so Plageuis knew not to be home when this all when down. In other words, a Sith could not survive Anakin's existence, so the only way to continue would be to die before "The Prophecy" is fulfilled, and be able to come back after it is done.

I would love to see Anakin come to Luke as a ghost and say "We have a new enemy...."

Its plausible that they go with the resurrection route with Plagueis. There are a lot of parallels with Star Wars and the Lord of the Rings epic, so the story could go the route of Plagueis being destroyed, but having mastered the ability to create life and prevent death, his spirit lived on...sort of a parallel with the story of Sauron. By the time Episode 7 rolls around, his spirit has had time to mastatasize into its physical form once again. In Plagueis' spirit state is when Anakin Skywalker was conceived. Although I hate resurrecting dead characters, I feel this one could actually work and I think its the route they'll go with for one reason...

STAR WARS IS ABOUT ANAKIN SKYWALKER AND GEORGE LUCAS HAS REPEATEDLY SAID THIS. This is the only route they can go with keeping Anakin involved, and ultimately bringing the trilogy full circle. It would be epic and everyone knows this. Main plot points that are necessary for this to happen:

EPISODE 7: A NEW THREAT

1.) 30 years have passed since the fall of the Empire, Luke has recreated the Jedi Order. There are once again hundreds of well trained Jedi and the New Republic is flourishing.
3.) A darkness begins to fall over the New Republic, and Jedi that were once loyal to the order, begin to stray away and go missing. Luke and a band of Jedi search the galaxy to investigate.
4.) Beyond the outer rim, Luke and his band discover a new planet that is engulfed in the Dark Side of the force. The force leads them to a temple where they encounter the spirit of Darth Plagueis. This is where they learn a horrifying truth from the dark lord himself...Sidious did indeed destroy Plagueis, but due to his mastering of the influence of life, his spirit lived on. In his spirit state Plagueis influenced the midichlorians to create a physical being that is to destroy the apprentice who betrayed him. This is Anakin Skywalker. Plagueis then goes on to say that he has been building an army of force users who have infiltrated every piece of the Jedi Order as well as the political circle. Luke and the jedi are then tempted by the dark lord to join his cause and bring balance once again to the force, which they deny and turn around to escape the planet. This is where they are ambushed by an army of dark jedi, all of which were once loyal to Luke's Jedi Order. Luke is the only Jedi to escape with his life and heads back to Coruscant to report on his findings.
5.) Luke comes back to the Jedi Temple to find that it has been destroyed and most of the senators representing the planets have been killed. By way of secret communication, Luke and the last remaining Jedi (those who have not turned to the dark side, and those who have not been killed) set up base on an unknown planet to organize their thoughts and debate on how they are going to take down this new threat.

OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF THESE SCENES WILL INVOLVE SOME EPIC SABRE BATTLES AND SPACE BATTLES.

6.) When the new conflict arises, the force ghost of Anakin Skywalker appears throughout the movies to coach and mentor Luke through the struggles.
7.) The end of Episode 7 is an army of hundreds of dark Jedi invading the new Jedi safe haven where a battle ensues on ground and in the air. With the aid of the republic's soldiers, they defeat the Dark Jedi and they retreat back to their home.
8.) At the end of Episode 7 we are introduced to Admiral Thrawn who was a war mastermind under the old Empire. Plagueis' spirit has sought out Thrawn to command his armies to bring down Luke and the Jedi Order.

Father-son was already explored enough imo. And by the way a good father-son relationship = little conflict!

Give us something new already. We're going to get enough callbacks and other traditional star wars elements as it is.

Father-daughter also has a dynamic to it but a bit different. More interesting because not yet done in SW context.

A healthy father/son relationship doesn't mean there has be little conflict - that's just silly. Conflict arises within each and every human relationship. You say give us something new? Well, I agree, in the sense that new dynamics coming within the framework of I-VI is precisely what I hope to see. After all, beyond Anakin's dying moments with Luke aboard DSII, a healthy relationship between father and son is something we've never witnessed before in the films and would, by its very nature, establish a new dynamic and encourage new routes to resolutions to whichever conflict the story provides.

This is only my opinion, of course, but people who offer things like "give Luke a daughter," but only because it's different, risk jettisoning thematic continuity of the saga as a whole just for the sake of somthing new, and I find this position terribly short-sighted. These films will be very much a part of that saga and it's absolutely imperative that they pay mind to the traditions already established (of which, the father/son theme is among the most vital) in order for the narrative to be a cohesive success. Otherwise, leave off the "Episode" moniker and just call it something else, you know? Do that, and I'm fine with whatever comes our way.

But like I said, everyone wants something different. I'm not trying to win you over, so much as to clarify any of my comments from late last evening.

Father-son was already explored enough imo. And by the way a good father-son relationship = little conflict!

Give us something new already. We're going to get enough callbacks and other traditional star wars elements as it is.

Father-daughter also has a dynamic to it but a bit different. More interesting because not yet done in SW context.

A healthy father/son relationship doesn't mean there has be little conflict - that's just silly. Conflict arises within each and every human relationship. You say give us something new? Well, I agree, in the sense that new dynamics coming within the framework of I-VI is precisely what I hope to see. After all, beyond Anakin's dying moments with Luke aboard DSII, a healthy relationship between father and son is something we've never witnessed before in the films and would, by its very nature, establish a new dynamic and encourage new routes to resolutions to whichever conflict the story provides.

Little conflicts are totally uninteresting in an epic tale like SW. SW is about rescuing the entire galaxy and not whether protagonist has to be at home at 10. If there is little conflict between Luke and son, then we won't see them interact much together in a father-son manner because there'd be other more interesting things to tell. "Healthy relationships" aren't very interesting, it is the kind of stuff we get in our daily lives.

There's a reason why in any writers guide they give the advice of throwing in as much conflict as possible. Intense stories are usually more interesting to read.

Look at the OT. It is filled to the brim with huge personal conflicts.

This is only my opinion, of course, but people who offer things like "give Luke a daughter," but only because it's different, risk jettisoning thematic continuity of the saga as a whole just for the sake of somthing new, and I find this position terribly short-sighted. These films will be very much a part of that saga and it's absolutely imperative that they pay mind to the traditions already established (of which, the father/son theme is among the most vital) in order for the narrative to be a cohesive success. Otherwise, leave off the "Episode" moniker and just call it something else, you know? Do that, and I'm fine with whatever comes our way.

But like I said, everyone wants something different. I'm not trying to win you over, so much as to clarify any of my comments from late last evening.

Too much continuity (as in using traditional elements too much) can hurt a story because it becomes dull and repetitive. Yes, sometimes doing change just to mix up stuff is perfectly valid. SW shouldn't be like watching a hamster in a wheel cage, going through the same tired movements every rotation.

The greatest danger with the ST I think would be that it is like a hamster in wheel cage, emulating the OT in almost every aspect but never being as good as the original. We already got so many old characters returning and the plot is basically pre-written (heroes journey) as well. In this "box", as much should be innovated as possible.

"Healthy relationships" are ... the kind of stuff we get in our daily lives.

But seriously...
I think Luke and whoever(son, daughter, niece/nephew), having a good solid relationship while facing down the forces of evil would be awesome. Plenty enough drama when your dad is about to get chopped in half without adding 'he's holding me back' drama.

Besides if Luke and whoever are antagonistic towards each other, then as an audience, we have to choose sides. I want to root for the old guys just as much as the new guys.

I'd rather have people be close or gain a camadreship like Han Luke and Leia did. The Big 3 were close but still argued. Felt more real than Obi-Wan and Anakin's relationship in AOTC. Their relationship was better in ROTS but that was one movie instead of all 3. I like close friendships between people and even if they argue they still care for that person.

Little conflicts are totally uninteresting in an epic tale like SW. SW is about rescuing the entire galaxy and not whether protagonist has to be at home at 10. If there is little conflict between Luke and son, then we won't see them interact much together in a father-son manner because there'd be other more interesting things to tell. "Healthy relationships" aren't very interesting, it is the kind of stuff we get in our daily lives.

There's a reason why in any writers guide they give the advice of throwing in as much conflict as possible. Intense stories are usually more interesting to read.

Look at the OT. It is filled to the brim with huge personal conflicts.

This is only my opinion, of course, but people who offer things like "give Luke a daughter," but only because it's different, risk jettisoning thematic continuity of the saga as a whole just for the sake of somthing new, and I find this position terribly short-sighted. These films will be very much a part of that saga and it's absolutely imperative that they pay mind to the traditions already established (of which, the father/son theme is among the most vital) in order for the narrative to be a cohesive success. Otherwise, leave off the "Episode" moniker and just call it something else, you know? Do that, and I'm fine with whatever comes our way.

But like I said, everyone wants something different. I'm not trying to win you over, so much as to clarify any of my comments from late last evening.

Too much continuity (as in using traditional elements too much) can hurt a story because it becomes dull and repetitive. Yes, sometimes doing change just to mix up stuff is perfectly valid. SW shouldn't be like watching a hamster in a wheel cage, going through the same tired movements every rotation.

The greatest danger with the ST I think would be that it is like a hamster in wheel cage, emulating the OT in almost every aspect but never being as good as the original. We already got so many old characters returning and the plot is basically pre-written (heroes journey) as well. In this "box", as much should be innovated as possible.

I hear you, I just happen to disagree that a healthy relationship between a parent and child, with all that it entails (from both sides of the relationship), constitues "little conflict" and as it's something we've literally never seen to any substantial extent, it is, to me, the farthest thing from a 'hamster / wheelcage.' Even though we've seen the 'passing of the torch' from one generation to the next before, we're going to get a new generation of heroes, no matter how we slice it. Given that, seeing the Skywalker father/son tradition continue (albeit with a new twist) is simply my preference, as I think that when considering all that's come before, giving Luke a son carries the greatest amount of story potential.

I think
@fishtailsam sees the value in what I'm suggesting (and probably does a better job of getting the point across than I, anyway).

Also, I could be wrong, but it sounds as if you're imagining Luke's son as a child in this scenario, whereas I envision "Ben" to be the roughly same age as Luke and Leia in ANH (co-incidently, the age Ben Skywalker is at in the EU, as of now).

Finally, I certainly never said that there shouldn't be galaxy-wide conflict in the story just because a Skywalker father and son support one another in the process for once. If you want personal drama, why couldn't the death of Luke, coming on the heels of witnessing a healthy relationship between he and his son, foster a huge dramatic conflict in the new hero (and the audience) for the rest of the ST? There are literally a million ways that talented writers like the people we know are on board for this could give us a new spin on the father/son theme, while still offering intense personal and galactic-wide stakes. It's one thing to say the idea is not to your personal tastes or expectations, but there's absolutely no reason to think that a healthy look at Luke and son has to handcuff any other story element. In fact, quite the contrary is true, I would think.

Again, please understand I'm not saying I'm right and you're wrong, or trying to sway you, or anything.
@darklordoftech was just curious why I felt the way I do and I do enjoy discussing it. That said, this isn't the best place to keep talking about it. Who is the baddie going to be, anyway? I can't remember, how do you feel about the idea of Plagueis? How about the thought of the Sith returning, in general?

Little conflicts are totally uninteresting in an epic tale like SW. SW is about rescuing the entire galaxy and not whether protagonist has to be at home at 10. If there is little conflict between Luke and son, then we won't see them interact much together in a father-son manner because there'd be other more interesting things to tell. "Healthy relationships" aren't very interesting, it is the kind of stuff we get in our daily lives.

There's a reason why in any writers guide they give the advice of throwing in as much conflict as possible. Intense stories are usually more interesting to read.

Look at the OT. It is filled to the brim with huge personal conflicts.

This is only my opinion, of course, but people who offer things like "give Luke a daughter," but only because it's different, risk jettisoning thematic continuity of the saga as a whole just for the sake of somthing new, and I find this position terribly short-sighted. These films will be very much a part of that saga and it's absolutely imperative that they pay mind to the traditions already established (of which, the father/son theme is among the most vital) in order for the narrative to be a cohesive success. Otherwise, leave off the "Episode" moniker and just call it something else, you know? Do that, and I'm fine with whatever comes our way.

But like I said, everyone wants something different. I'm not trying to win you over, so much as to clarify any of my comments from late last evening.

Too much continuity (as in using traditional elements too much) can hurt a story because it becomes dull and repetitive. Yes, sometimes doing change just to mix up stuff is perfectly valid. SW shouldn't be like watching a hamster in a wheel cage, going through the same tired movements every rotation.

The greatest danger with the ST I think would be that it is like a hamster in wheel cage, emulating the OT in almost every aspect but never being as good as the original. We already got so many old characters returning and the plot is basically pre-written (heroes journey) as well. In this "box", as much should be innovated as possible.

I hear you, I just happen to disagree that a healthy relationship between a parent and child, with all that it entails (from both sides of the relationship), constitues "little conflict" and as it's something we've literally never seen to any substantial extent, it is, to me, the farthest thing from a 'hamster / wheelcage.' Even though we've seen the 'passing of the torch' from one generation to the next before, we're going to get a new generation of heroes, no matter how we slice it. Given that, seeing the Skywalker father/son tradition continue (albeit with a new twist) is simply my preference, as I think that when considering all that's come before, giving Luke a son carries the greatest amount of story potential.

I think
@fishtailsam sees the value in what I'm suggesting (and probably does a better job of getting the point across than I, anyway).

Also, I could be wrong, but it sounds as if you're imagining Luke's son as a child in this scenario, whereas I envision "Ben" to be the roughly same age as Luke and Leia in ANH (co-incidently, the age Ben Skywalker is at in the EU, as of now).

Finally, I certainly never said that there shouldn't be galaxy-wide conflict in the story just because a Skywalker father and son support one another in the process for once. If you want personal drama, why couldn't the death of Luke, coming on the heels of witnessing a healthy relationship between he and his son, foster a huge dramatic conflict in the new hero (and the audience) for the rest of the ST? There are literally a million ways that talented writers like the people we know are on board for this could give us a new spin on the father/son theme, while still offering intense personal and galactic-wide stakes. It's one thing to say the idea is not to your personal tastes or expectations, but there's absolutely no reason to think that a healthy look at Luke and son has to handcuff any other story element. In fact, quite the contrary is true, I would think.

Again, please understand I'm not saying I'm right and you're wrong, or trying to sway you, or anything.
@darklordoftech was just curious why I felt the way I do and I do enjoy discussing it. That said, this isn't the best place to keep talking about it. Who is the baddie going to be, anyway? I can't remember, how do you feel about the idea of Plagueis? How about the thought of the Sith returning, in general?

"Healthy relationships" are ... the kind of stuff we get in our daily lives.

But seriously...
I think Luke and whoever(son, daughter, niece/nephew), having a good solid relationship while facing down the forces of evil would be awesome. Plenty enough drama when your dad is about to get chopped in half without adding 'he's holding me back' drama.

Besides if Luke and whoever are antagonistic towards each other, then as an audience, we have to choose sides. I want to root for the old guys just as much as the new guys.

If dad gets chopped in half we'll maybe see a 5 minutes sappy scene about the awesome personal relationship between son and dad and then he gets killed. The rest would be mentoring scenes (Luke as new Obi-Wan) and action scenes. In ANH we didn't get to see very much about Lukes and Owens relationship because it was mostly fine. The same with Obi-Wans and Lukes relationship because it was also mostly fine (I can tell they were somewhat close but not much more). Only when there's some real conflict the screenwriter will give it more space (example Han and Leia in TESB).

This is how it's done in my observation. When I write a story between two close characters I usually destroy their relationship a bit so that they can rebuild it until the end (or not, I like to be unpredictable). Happytime between the characters until the end and threats only coming from the outside I find boring. That we get in any stupid action flick. Star Wars is and was always more than that.

If dad gets chopped in half we'll maybe see a 5 minutes sappy scene about the awesome personal relationship between son and dad and then he gets killed. The rest would be mentoring scenes (Luke as new Obi-Wan) and action scenes. In ANH we didn't get to see very much about Lukes and Owens relationship because it was mostly fine. The same with Obi-Wans and Lukes relationship because it was also mostly fine (I can tell they were somewhat close but not much more). Only when there's some real conflict the screenwriter will give it more space (example Han and Leia in TESB).

This is how it's done in my observation. When I write a story between two close characters I usually destroy their relationship a bit so that they can rebuild it until the end (or not, I like to be unpredictable). Happytime between the characters until the end and threats only coming from the outside I find boring. That we get in any stupid action flick. Star Wars is and was always more than that.

@ TreborSabreon
That answer is also geared towards you.

I understand what you're saying, but you must realize that just because this is how other films may have handled things, or how you choose to write this type of dynamic between characters, this in no way reflects how Lucas, Arndt, or anyone else associated with the production would. I don't know how you can say "we'll see maybe 5 minutes... and then it will be...," with any sense of certainty when we literally have no idea how the story goes at this point. Additionally, just because we may see a healthy relationship between parent and child in the ST, I don't see any reason why it would be "boring," but then, I don't presume to know where the writers would take the story. What I do have is faith that whatever scenario we are given will be well written and entertaining.

I have to ask: If you don't like the idea of a healthy relationship between parent and child, are you suggesting that you would rather we see another damaged realtionship between one generation and the next? Wouldn't this just be even more in keeping with your 'hamster/wheel' fears? I would think so. Just switching the child to the daughter doesn't solve this dilemma. Making the dynamic a healthy one does. Keeping the new hero a Skywalker son is simply my personal preference, as it adheres to the father/son tradition I hold so dear, but it is in making Luke and his son a healthy dynamic that makes it a new twist on the theme, offering us something we've yet to see in the saga.

If dad gets chopped in half we'll maybe see a 5 minutes sappy scene about the awesome personal relationship between son and dad and then he gets killed. The rest would be mentoring scenes (Luke as new Obi-Wan) and action scenes. In ANH we didn't get to see very much about Lukes and Owens relationship because it was mostly fine. The same with Obi-Wans and Lukes relationship because it was also mostly fine (I can tell they were somewhat close but not much more). Only when there's some real conflict the screenwriter will give it more space (example Han and Leia in TESB).

This is how it's done in my observation. When I write a story between two close characters I usually destroy their relationship a bit so that they can rebuild it until the end (or not, I like to be unpredictable). Happytime between the characters until the end and threats only coming from the outside I find boring. That we get in any stupid action flick. Star Wars is and was always more than that.

@ TreborSabreon
That answer is also geared towards you.

I understand what you're saying, but you must realize that just because this is how other films may have handled things, or how you choose to write this type of dynamic between characters, this in no way reflects how Lucas, Arndt, or anyone else associated with the production would. I don't know how you can say "we'll see maybe 5 minutes... and then it will be...," with any sense of certainty when we literally have no idea how the story goes at this point. Additionally, just because we may see a healthy relationship between parent and child in the ST, I don't see any reason why it would be "boring," but then, I don't presume to know where the writers would take the story. What I do have is faith that whatever scenario we are given will be well written and entertaining.

Just taking an educated guess here based on how it was previously handled in SW movies and adventure movies in general.
If anything, looking at ST IX is really interesting because it was compared to SW by quite a few critics and was also directed by JJ Abrams.
But anyway, I don't put imo in front of my posts because it is obvious I can only give an opinion when speculating about a movie.

It is "boring" because the meat of any story is its conflict. Sappy scenes are much more meaningful when they create a conflict (son feels the need to avenge fathers death) or if they are a resolution to a dilemma. Conflict also drives characterization because characters evolve when placed into some sort of dilemma.

I have to ask: If you don't like the idea of a healthy relationship between parent and child, are you suggesting that you would rather we see another damaged realtionship between one generation and the next? Wouldn't this just be even more in keeping with your 'hamster/wheel' fears? I would think so. Just switching the child to the daughter doesn't solve this dilemma. Making the dynamic a healthy one does. Keeping the new hero a Skywalker son is simply my personal preference, as it adheres to the father/son tradition I hold so dear, but it is in making Luke and his son a healthy dynamic that makes it a new twist on the theme, offering us something we've yet to see in the saga.

I'm not even sure we need a Luke daughter. Any female protagonist would do for me.

Additionally, I never said I needed so much focus on parents-child relationship in VII. Rivalry between different pupils would be fine too, for instance. We never got to see that kind of thing in the movies before.

the meat of any story is its conflict. Sappy scenes are much more meaningful when they create a conflict (son feels the need to avenge fathers death) or if they are a resolution to a dilemma. Conflict also drives characterization because characters evolve when placed into some sort of dilemma.

Additionally, I never said I needed so much focus on parents-child relationship in VII. Rivalry between different pupils would be fine too, for instance. We never got to see that kind of thing in the movies before.

You don't have to sell me on conflict, I agree that it's vital and we're sure to have plenty of it. Though I'd prefer to see Luke survive, your mention of Luke's son coping with the loss of his father is just one of the avenues that I imagine would wind up suiting me just fine.

As far as the focus on parents and children, for better or for worse, I think it's pretty darn likely that we'll see plenty of it in a 'passing of the torch' ST story. I could be wrong, certainly, but every hint we've gotten has mentioned this and given the generational story of the saga as it exists, I think it's fairly close to a certainty. Then again, who can say, I'm not the writer.

As far as the focus on parents and children, for better or for worse, I think it's pretty darn likely that we'll see plenty of it in a 'passing of the torch' ST story. I could be wrong, certainly, but every hint we've gotten has mentioned this and given the generational story of the saga as it exists, I think it's fairly close to a certainty. Then again, who can say, I'm not the writer.

Quite possibly. It's the most obvious route you could take. But that passing the torch thing could simply be from master to padawan. My money is on a Han/Leia child which Luke trains. It is

a) obvious
b) would give the kid very strong connections to all "big three"

a) obvious
b) would give the kid very strong connections to all "big three"

That wouldn't surprise me, either. Of course, there's no reason to think that Luke couldn't have a child, as well (you hear a lot of folks say that he shouldn't because he's a Jedi, therefore making it 'against the rules,' while they all conveniently seem to forget that Leia is surely a Jedi by this point, too), but it seems really easy to just say 'yup, Han and Leia have a kid' and then leave it at that.

Giving Han and Leia the next generation hero, while Luke is left without a son to carry the actual Skywalker name forward is not the route I'm hoping they choose to go, of course, but yeah, it wouldn't surprise me. I still say the best choice is for both "Ben Skywalker" and "Jaina Solo" (whatever they name them) to appear (maybe in a dual-protagonist role). If the past is anything to go on, we can expect a three-role, ensemble lead (with both males and females represented). How about Ben, Jaina and an unknown element?

As far as the focus on parents and children, for better or for worse, I think it's pretty darn likely that we'll see plenty of it in a 'passing of the torch' ST story. I could be wrong, certainly, but every hint we've gotten has mentioned this and given the generational story of the saga as it exists, I think it's fairly close to a certainty. Then again, who can say, I'm not the writer.

Quite possibly. It's the most obvious route you could take. But that passing the torch thing could simply be from master to padawan. My money is on a Han/Leia child which Luke trains. It is

a) obvious
b) would give the kid very strong connections to all "big three"

I hope not i liked the idea at first but not anymore i want it to be to be either Lukes kids or someone non related

What about either a battle droid from the Clone Wars or a Sith assassin droid from 1000's of years ago, who somehow got enough maitenence to stay in decent shape, and who NEVER got a memeory wipe?

Battle Droids have memories?

I thought all droids that could interact with people did. Plus, the way they acted in ep 3 showed they developed personalities (that rivaled Jar Jar in annoyance), and I'm pretty sure those personalities develop from memories.